Sheriff Clark Strikes Civil Rights Leader in Selma

Feb. 16, 1965 - Sheriff James Clark (center) struck an assistant to Dr. Martin Luther King in the mouth today on the steps of the Dallas County Courthouse in Selma, Ala.

Federal agents and reporters who witnessed the incident said the sheriff had acted after the Rev. C.T. Vivian (left) goaded him with a string of invective that included “brute” and “Hitler.”

Vivian, who suffered a mouth cut from Sheriff Clark’s fist, was arrested and charged with criminal provocation and contempt of court.

A few hours later, two field workers of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee were beaten by three white men within half a block of the courthouse. Frank Sorocco, 29 years old, of San Francisco, and Roger Daily, 21, of Gladstone, N.J., both white, suffered facial bruises.

The violence came on a day in which Dr. King was preparing to move his campaign for faster Negro voter registration from Selma into rural areas of the Alabama “Black Belt.” 

Rev. Vivian arrived at the courthouse today shortly before the noon recess of the board of registrars.

About 100 Negroes were standing in line in a light rain to sign the appearance book, used to assign priorities for processing applicants for registration. They were some of the 1,400 who stood in line all day yesterday without being able to sign the book.

When the board closed about noon, Mr. Vivian led about 25 Negroes around to another entrance to take them into the courthouse to get out of the rain. 

They were met at the door by deputies. Sheriff Clark, who remained in his office during the demonstrations yesterday, came out in civilian clothes. The Negroes were told they could not go into the courthouse.

In the confrontation which followed, Mr. Vivian accused the sheriff of being “brutal” to Negroes in Dallas County, said he was “like Hitler,” and dared the sheriff to hit him.

After a moment, the sheriff, who weighs 220 pounds, hit Mr. Vivian in the mouth with his right fist. Then he ordered Mr. Vivian arrested, and the clergyman was taken away with blood running from his mouth.

Sheriff Clark claimed to be uncertain whether had struck Mr. Vivian.

“If I hit him, I don’t know it,” he declared. “One of the first things I ever learned was not to hit a n****r with your fist because his head is too hard. Of course, the camera might make me out a liar. I do have a sore finger.”

Later, the local authorities said Mr. Vivian had been taken to a hospital, where one suture had been used to close the mouth cut. He was then returned to the Dallas County jail.

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